28 Sep 2015
There is nowhere else in the world that celebrates Halloween with such enthusiasm as in the United States of America. Forget about just a used bed-sheet as a ghost costume, the Americans go all out and over the last ten years Halloween has grown from a 1-billion dollar industry to a near 11-billion dollar industry. Trick or Treat is big business with much time and money spent on costumes for all members of the family (including pets). Homes and front gardens are elaborately decorated, and there are parades, parties and events that take place in towns and cities across the country.
Specialist tour operator My America Holiday looks at some of the top ways to experience Halloween in America.
Haunted houses
Pennhurst Asylum, located in Spring City, Pennsylvania, is housed in the original 1908 administrative building of the old State Mental Institution and was rated as the scariest Haunted Attraction in America by USA Today. Open on selected dates between 19 September and 1 November, the Asylum is a hospital themed walk through four different haunted attractions with high-tech animatronics, costumed actors, and eerie sound effects. Wind through the labyrinth of old cells and dank, damp halls, and see the human experimentation that went wrong in the Dungeon of Lost Souls. The Tunnel Terror, located underground, is a 900 foot-long gauntlet filled with catacombs, swamps and monsters. There's also a Ghost Hunt, a self-guided tour of the Mayflower Dormitory which is reportedly the most active building for paranormal investigations.
Three nights in nearby Philadelphia from £565pp – staying at the 4* Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue including flights with British Airways (outbound 30 Oct). Click here for more information on holidays to Philadelphia or go to www.myamericaholiday.co.uk.
The 13th Gate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is open between 25 September and 13 November and features three terrifying experiences. The 13th Gate Haunted House is one of the most realistically themed haunted houses in the country, the extreme detail used in the 40,000 foot house includes movie-quality set design, animations and special effects and over 200 professional actors. The attraction features a 30 minute walk through 13 differently themed areas from the fog-filled streets of London to the lost underwater city of Atlantis and a claustrophobic cave system infested with hundreds of live snakes. Necropolis 13 is a New Orleans themed cemetery which takes up an entire city block and is a labyrinth of over 400 dark crypts to explore, all the while avoiding the multitudes of the living dead freshly awakened. Escape Game is new to 13th Gate this year – visitors have 60 minutes to escape four themed rooms using logic, instinct, and critical thinking to find secret passages, solve puzzles, crack codes, and uncover hidden mysteries.
Baton Rouge – Accommodation at the 3* Holiday Inn Express Baton Rouge Downtown cost from £33pp (based on two sharing, staying on a room only basis). Click here for more information on holidays to Louisiana or go to www.myamericaholiday.co.uk.
The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride is one of the most popular Halloween attractions in the country, held annually in Griffith Park's Old Abandoned Zoo. Open this year from 2-31 October, it offers immersive experiences and five scare zones including: Trick Or Treat, House of Shadows and In-Between Dark Maze. Purgatory will feature crowd favourites, Theatre Macabre, Death Row, Jack's Carving Shack, Scary-Go-Round, Psychics, Grub Shack, Bootique and some of the best character performances in the country.
Five nights at the 4* Millenium Biltmore in Los Angeles costs from £695pp including flights with British Airways (outbound 29 October). Click here for more information on holidays to Los Angeles or go to www.myamericaholiday.co.uk.
Theme Park events
For a more child friendly Halloween experience, families heading to Florida can take part in Legoland Florida's festivities, which includes a Halloween themed scavenger hunt, a trick-or-treat along the Brick-or-Treat trail, new Lego models to spot and nightly fireworks. Plus there will be a children's fancy dress competition and Lego Halloween Costume Characters will be on hand to entertain. Visitors can also see the largest Lego Pumpkin in the World, as well as a huge Lego Vampire and a 13-foot long Lego brick Hearse. They can even join Legoland Florida Resort's talented model makers in helping to create a giant Lego ghost.
Legoland Florida – Five nights at the 3* Celebration Suites at Old Town in Florida costs from £469pp including flights with United (via Chicago – outbound 29 October). Click here for more information on holidays to Florida or go to www.myamericaholiday.co.uk.
Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights. The world-famous production facilities of Universal Studios Hollywood serve as a backdrop location for Halloween Horror Nights which take part on select nights from 18 September to 1 November. At the nation's premier Halloween event, visitors can explore nine terrifying haunted houses, five scare zones, two outrageous live shows, plus many of the park's most exciting rides and attractions.
Five nights at the 3* Doubletree by Hilton at the Entrance to Universal Orlando costs from £535pp including flights with United (via Chicago – outbound 29 October). Click here for more information on holidays to Orlando or go to www.myamericaholiday.co.uk.
Parades/ Events/ Festivals
Salem Haunted Happenings, Salem, Massachusetts. America's biggest Halloween party has to be in Salem, Massachusetts, where more than 250,000 people come to Salem Haunted Happenings which takes place throughout October each year. Events include a Grand Parade, the Haunted Biz Baz Street Fair, Family Film Nights on Salem Common, costume balls, ghost tours, haunted houses, live music, and chilling theatrical presentations.
Three nights in nearby Boston staying at the 4* Royal Sonesta Boston costs from £629 including flights with British Airways (outbound 30 Oct). Click here for more information on holidays to Boston or go to www.myamericaholiday.co.uk.
Village Halloween Parade, New York City. The theme of this year's parade is Shine a Light, and the public is welcome to join the 50,000 people in the march (costume required) alongside signature papier-mâché creations. The mile-long parade's pageant puppets have been custom made for the annual celebration ever since the parade was established in 1974. Arrive early to get a spot along 6th Avenue and marvel at the incredible showmanship and craft of these one-of-a-kind creations. 31 October from 7pm.
Three nights at the 4* Millenium Hilton in New York costs from £615pp including flights with Delta Air Lines (outbound 30 Oct). Click here for more information on holidays to New York or go to www.myamericaholiday.co.uk.
West Hollywood Carnaval, Los Angeles. Approximately 500,000 people fill Santa Monica Boulevard each year for West Hollywood Carnaval, the world's largest Halloween street party. The evening leads up to the popular “Queen of the Carnaval,” when an A-list celebrity is crowned local royalty (past queens include Queen Latifah and Rihanna). Six stages with over 50 music acts provide background ambiance as attendees march along the boulevard. The bars and clubs that line the street attract passersby with a variety of contests, live performances, and drink specials.
Five nights at the 4* Grafton on Sunset, West Hollywood costs from £875pp including flights with British Airways (outbound 29 October). Click here for more information on holidays to Los Angeles or go to www.myamericaholiday.co.uk.
ENDS
Press contact:
Anna Watt
tel: 020 7426 0460 / 07815 898995
Notes to Editors:
My America Holiday is a tour operator specialising in tailor-made holidays to the USA. The company offers everything from city breaks with flights and accommodation to multi-destination holidays, tailor-made fly drive itineraries, escorted tours, cruises, rail holidays and much more.
